Produce Jamaat top leaders before int'l crimes tribunal
Jail authorities asked
The International Crimes Tribunal yesterday asked the jail authorities to produce five detained Jamaat-e-Islami leaders including its Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami before it on April 20 in connection with war crime charges.
The four other Jamaat leaders are Secretary General Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mojahid, senior assistant secretaries general Muhammad Kamaruzzaman and Abdul Quader Molla and Nayeb-e-Ameer Delwar Hossain Sayedee.
The three-member tribunal headed by Justice Nizamul Huq directed the prosecution to submit the progress reports on the investigation into the war crimes allegations against the five leaders by April 20.
The tribunal also directed the jail authorities to provide necessary treatment to Sayedee and arrange medical test for him at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), if necessary.
The tribunal passed the order in respect of Nizami, Mojahid, Kamaruzzaman and Quader Molla in a suo moto move, while passed the order in respect of Sayedee after hearing a petition filed by the prosecution seeking time for completing investigation against him.
The tribunal, however, rejected a petition filed by Sayedee seeking bail in connection with the war crime charges.
Sayedee was produced before the tribunal after it began proceedings at about 10:30am.
Earlier in the morning, the prosecution placed six "case diaries" (regular progress) of the investigation agency for investigation into allegations against Sayedee for examining.
The tribunal on February 20 had ordered the investigation agency to submit the "case diaries" by March 15.
The court at around 10:45am adjourned the hearing for an hour to examine the "case diaries" and resumed the hearing at around 12:00noon
Passing the order, the tribunal said completion of investigation against Sayedee is almost at the final stage.
Prosecutor Syed Haider Ali told the tribunal that the investigation agency has collected papers and documents on the allegations against the accused and would collect more.
He said there is progress in the probe against Sayedee and the investigation agency needs some time to complete its job.
Haider Ali prayed to the tribunal to permit the jail authorities to keep Sayedee detained till completion of investigation into the allegations brought against him.
Sayedee is a very influential political person and may hamper the investigation and threaten the witnesses if he is free, Haider Ali argued.
Sayedee's counsel Tajul Islam told the court the prosecution could not show any progress in the investigation against his client, who should not be detained on "false" charges.
He prayed for his client's bail saying there is no evidence of the allegations against him.
Tajul also prayed to the court to ask the jail authorities to take necessary steps for proper treatment of his client.
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